Habitual animal

A little brown bird with a penchant for big blue eggs. Beetles in the desert that mate with empty beer bottles. And people who empty potato chip bags while staring at a screen. How did we end up as creatures of habit? We eat unhealthy food, we waste time on our phones, and we binge watch Netflix. But is it our own choice, or has an army of researchers hired by the largest industries made it for us? It is in the instinct of all species to want more, bigger, and better. The world's major companies – from food to social media – have used this knowledge in their development of addictive superstimuli. The individual's willpower is up against top researchers with brain scanners, high-tech laboratories, and knowledge of human biology. But that doesn't mean the battle is lost. Once you understand how the different mechanisms work, you can take back the power.